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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. toast — bread
  8. clip — a video
  9. bear — the animal
  10. march — music
  11. race — a contest
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — humankind
  14. clip — to cut
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. march — the month
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com